Internet Public Library Symposium:
A Global Standard for Digital Librarianship

Changes in librarianship and the people’s relationship to information have changed dramatically over the past 10 years, in no small part due to the explosion of information available online and in digital format.

The School of Information was the driving force behind the Internet Public Library (IPL), widely credited as the first "public library of the Internet." The changes to the IPL, the world of information and the role of information professionals have been significant during the IPL’s ten years. The skills required to maintain and grow the IPL have evolved to now include SI students in every specialization. In addition to its role as a training ground for School of Information students, a variety of academic research projects have grown out of the IPL enterprise.

To mark the IPL’s achievements, recognize the contributions it has made to the digital world and think strategically about what the IPL should do next – and if it should even continue to exist in another 10 years – the School sponsored the "Internet Public Library Symposium: A Global Standard for Digital Librarianship."

The symposium was held September 23-24 on campus. A number of IPL alumni attended both to help chart the future course of the IPL as well as to gather together with current students and SI and IPL alumni. Guest speakers included Joe Janes, now a faculty member of the Information School at the University of Washington. Janes was the founding Director of the IPL. A variety of faculty members and IPL alumni discussed their current IPL research projects; IPL alumni discussed where they are now and how the IPL helped shape their careers.

Streaming live video of the symposium was available. A link to the live video was made available while the symposium was going on. The symposium was also recorded.